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Nuggets

We're flipping our calendar at BasketballNews &mdash; but not before taking one look back at a memorable 2021.
Sports never cease to give us compelling storylines. Last year, they came from all places, from the pros in the U.S. and abroad, to college, to youth levels, and even off the basketball court. Below are some of our staff's best stories, arranged in several categories. Read the Best of BasketballNews 2021:
Best Features
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/gary-payton-ii_lg.jpg" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-g-league-raptors-905-gary-payton-ii-on-growing-up-in-fathers-shadow-we-have-two-different-paths">Gary Payton II on growing up in father's shadow: 'We have two different paths'</a> &mdash; by Kelsea O'Brien
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Former NBA execs, Overtime Elite seek to revolutionize amateur-to-pro p</a><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reparation</a> &mdash; by Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-daniel-gafford-washington-wizards-russell-westbrook-bradley-beal-tony-falce-arkansas-razorbacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Gafford, Wizards surging since trade: 'When I got here, it clicked automatically'</a> &mdash; by Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/pj-dozier-took-a-whirlwind-journey-to-the-denver-nuggets-starting-lineup">Two-way threat: PJ Dozier reflects on whirlwind path to Nuggets</a> &mdash; by Ethan Fuller
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/g-league-finals-mvp-devin-cannady-remains-focus-bigger-goals">NBA G League Finals MVP Devin Cannady remains focused on bigger goals</a> &mdash; by Kelsea O'Brien
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/theres-plenty-of-blame-to-go-around-for-frank-ntilikinas-failure">There&rsquo;s plenty of blame to go around for Frank Ntilikina&rsquo;s failure</a> &mdash; by Moke Hamilton
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nikola-vucevic-may-finally-get-credit-he-deserves-with-newlook-bulls">Nikola Vucevic may finally get credit he deserves with new-look Bulls</a> &mdash; by Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/meet-juste-jocyte-15-year-old-phenom-and-professional-record-breaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meet Justė Jocytė: 15-year-old phenom and professional record-breaker</a> &mdash; by Ethan Fuller
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kristaps-porzingis-renewed-confidence-leading-to-resurgent-season-with-mavericks">Kristaps Porzingis' renewed confidence leading to resurgent season</a> &mdash; by Evan Sidery
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/scoot-henderson-aspirations-far-exceed-any-hype-we-can-give-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA G League star Scoot Henderson's aspirations far exceed the hype</a> &mdash; by Spencer Davies
Best Interviews and Q&amp;As
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/markelle-fultz_lg.png" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-richaun-holmes-qa-interview-free-agency-all-defensive-team">Richaun Holmes Q&amp;A: 'I definitely feel I&rsquo;m deserving of the All-Defensive Team'</a> &mdash; with Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-orlando-magic-rj-hampton-q-and-a-i-dont-think-you-can-put-a-cap-on-our-ceiling">Magic's R.J. Hampton Q&amp;A: 'I don&rsquo;t think you can put a cap on our ceiling'</a> &mdash; with Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rex-chapman-show/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-8-episode-7-stephen-curry">The Rex Chapman Show with Josh Hopkins Episode 7 - Stephen Curry</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rex-chapman-show/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-10-episode-9-james-jones">The Rex Chapman Show: James Jones on Suns' culture change, player-to-GM leap</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-san-antonio-spurs-derrick-white-dejounte-murray-gregg-popovich-colorado-buffaloes">One-on-One: Derrick White, Spurs' youth trying to make a name for themselves</a> &mdash; with Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-one-on-one-patrick-patterson-los-angeles-clippers-tyronn-lue-paul-george-kawhi-leonard-demarcus-cousins-kentucky-wildcats-basketball">One-on-One: Patrick Patterson opens up as Clippers begin playoff run</a> &mdash; with Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/larry-nance-jr-qa-i-did-not-come-out-here-to-halfass-this-thing">Larry Nance Jr. Q&amp;A: 'I did not come out here to half-ass this thing'</a> &mdash; with Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jermaine-oneal-on-reconciling-with-ron-artest-i-didnt-know-about-mental-health">Jermaine O&rsquo;Neal on reconciling with Metta World Peace: 'I didn't know about mental health'</a> &mdash; with Etan Thomas
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/markelle-fultz-reveals-what-really-happened-with-his-shot-shoulder">Markelle Fultz reveals what really happened with his shot, shoulder</a> &mdash; with Etan Thomas
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-alex-kennedy-podcast/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-29-thad-young-on-getting-blindsided-by-trade-to-spurs,-dealing-with-recent-trade-rumors,-the-key-to-nba-longevity,-more-ep-29">Thad Young on being blindsided by Spurs trade, trade rumors, key to longevity</a> &mdash; with Alex Kennedy
Best Player Breakdowns
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/kyle-lowry_lg.jpg" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/on-lock-how-jrue-holiday-became-the-nba-finals-xfactor-">On Lock: How Jrue Holiday became the NBA Finals&rsquo; X-Factor</a> &mdash; by Jannelle Moore
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/enough-no-bag-talk-giannis-antetokounmpo-put-the-nba-on-notice-finals-mvp-champion">Enough 'no bag' talk: Giannis Antetokounmpo put the NBA on notice</a> &mdash; by Nekias Duncan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-kyle-lowry-brings-to-the-miami-heat">Film study: What Kyle Lowry brings to the Miami Heat</a> &mdash; by Nekias Duncan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dime-fest-breaking-down-courtney-vandersloot-historic-night-wnba-playoffs">Dime Fest: Breaking down Courtney Vandersloot's historic night</a> &mdash; by Nekias Duncan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/all-signs-pointing-to-marcus-smart-as-the-celtics-swing-player">What does Marcus Smart at point guard look like for the Celtics? </a>&nbsp; &mdash; by Ethan Fuller
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rudy-gay-is-injecting-the-jazz-with-funk">Rudy Gay is injecting the Jazz with funk</a> &mdash; by Mark Schindler
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/is-jaren-jackson-jr-a-star-in-making-or-something-else">Is Jaren Jackson Jr. a star in the making, or something else?</a> &mdash; by Matt Brooks
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dissecting-desmond-bane-role-memphis-grizzlies-offense">Dissecting Desmond Bane's growing role in the Grizzlies' offense</a> &mdash; by Jackson Frank
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/is-dave-bing-right-about-cade-cunningham">Is Cade Cunningham a franchise player the Pistons can build around?</a> &mdash; by Mat Issa and Bryce Simon
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/making-the-nba-all-star-case-for-cavs-big-man-jarrett-allen">Making the NBA All-Star case for Cavs big man Jarrett Allen</a> &mdash; by Bryan Fonseca
Best Team and League Breakdowns
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/jarrett-allen_lg.png" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-to-tank-or-not-to-tank-analyzing-the-toronto-raptors-present-and-future">To tank, or not to tank? Analyzing the Raptors' present and future</a> &mdash; by Imman Adan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-nba-draft-lottery-is-not-rigged-and-heres-why">The NBA Draft Lottery is not rigged, and here's why</a> &mdash; by Alex Kennedy&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/why-big-men-take-more-time-to-develop-in-the-nba-than-guards-and-wings">Why NBA bigs take more time to develop: 'They're used to imposing their will'</a>&nbsp;&mdash; by Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/as-the-offseason-revs-up-what-nba-teams-are-in-the-dead-money-doldrums">As NBA offseason nears, which teams are in the dead money doldrums?</a> &mdash; by Ethan Fuller
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-create-unnecessarily-awkward-situation-not-signing-deandre-ayton-to-extension">Suns create unnecessarily awkward situation by not extending Ayton</a> &mdash; by Evan Sidery
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/in-the-nba-length-matters-unedited">Length matters: The NBA's long-ball revolution may be coming</a> &mdash; by Imman Adan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/grindhouse-how-the-grizzlies-are-winning-with-defense">The Grindhouse: How the Grizzlies are winning with defense</a> &mdash; by Nekias Duncan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tom-thibodeau-isnt-the-only-reigning-coach-of-the-year-to-struggle">Tom Thibodeau isn&rsquo;t the only reigning Coach of the Year to struggle</a> &mdash; by Moke Hamilton
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-power-rankings-warriors-reclaim-top-spot-from-suns">NBA Power Rankings: Bulls are hot, Warriors reclaim top spot from Suns </a>&nbsp;&mdash; by Tommy Beer
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-embarrassing-defense-sinking-their-enticing-potential">Hornets' embarrassing defense sinking their enticing potential</a> &mdash; by Evan Sidery
Best Opinion
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/draymond-green_lg.png" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/injuries-galore-the-nba-all-too-soon-return-has-made-losers-of-us-all">Injuries Galore: The NBA&rsquo;s all-too-soon return has made losers of us all</a> &mdash; by Moke Hamilton
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-can-the-nba-do-to-prevent-ugly-fan-incidents">What can the NBA do to prevent more ugly fan incidents?</a> &mdash; by Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rachel-nichols-maria-taylor-incident-exposes-espn-racism-sexism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Nichols-Maria Taylor incident exposes ESPN&rsquo;s racism, sexism&nbsp;</a> &mdash; by Imman Adan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-discourse-around-nba-superteams-is-tiresome-stars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The discourse around NBA stars and super-teams is tiresome</a> &mdash; by Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-beginners-guide-to-nba-stats-written-by-a-beginner">A beginner's guide to NBA stats: The three types of statistics</a> &mdash; by Ethan Fuller
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/which-nba-players-could-have-realistically-played-in-the-nfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Which NBA players could have realistically played in the NFL?</a> &mdash; by Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/no-enhancement-necessary-the-nba-should-leave-well-enough-alone">No enhancement necessary: NBA should leave well enough alone</a> &mdash; by Jannelle Moore
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-nets-should-be-ashamed-of-themselves">The Nets should be ashamed of themselves</a> &mdash; by Nekias Duncan
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/missing-the-forest-through-the-trees-on-christmas-day-games">Missing the forest through the trees on Christmas Day games</a> &mdash; by Mark Schindler
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/greg-monroe-and-the-brief-case-for-us-to-see-more-nba-veterans-this-season">NBA teams need to show more respect to veterans, and we're seeing why</a> &mdash; by Bryan Fonseca
Best of the NBA Draft
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/james-bouknight_lg.jpg" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a> &mdash; by Matt Babcock
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/a-behindthescenes-look-at-james-bouknights-predraft-training">Behind the scenes with projected lottery pick James Bouknight</a> &mdash; by Matt Babcock
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nba-draft-prospect-nahshon-bones-hyland-demands-your-attention">Q&amp;A: Draft prospect Nah'Shon 'Bones' Hyland demands your attention</a> &mdash; by Alex Kennedy
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-2021-nba-draft-intel-with-lead-draft-analyst-matt-babcock-rumors-offseason">2021 NBA Draft: Matt Babcock on rumors, trades, risers, fallers</a> &mdash; by Ethan Fuller and Matt Babcock
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-little-guy-from-bendigo-dyson-daniels-game-is-unlike-anyone-elses">The Little Guy From Bendigo: Dyson Daniels is unlike anyone else</a> &mdash; by Spencer Davies
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-qa-french-big-man-ismael-kamagate">2022 NBA Draft Q&amp;A: French big man Ismael Kamagate</a> &mdash; by Jason Filippi
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-jean-montero-scouting-report">2022 NBA Draft: Jean Montero scouting report</a> &mdash; by Doc Martin
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/babcocks-takeaways-jabari-smith-patrick-baldwin-jr-matthew-cleveland-more">Babcock&rsquo;s Takeaways: Jabari Smith, Patrick Baldwin, Matthew Cleveland</a> &mdash; by Matt Babcock
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-the-evolution-of-kansas-guard-ochai-agbaji">2022 NBA Draft: The evolution of Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji</a> &mdash; by Derek Murray
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-getting-to-know-alabamas-native-son-jd-davison">2022 NBA Draft: Getting to know JD Davison, Alabama's native son</a> &mdash; by Grant Aqui
Best Player Pieces
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/james-posey_lg.png" alt="" />
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-washington-wizards-troy-brown-jr-bradley-beal-russell-westbrook-outbreak-covid-19-coronavirus-virus-contract-health-safety-protocol">Behind the scenes of the Wizards' COVID-19 outbreak: 'It's been a wild season'</a> &mdash; by Troy Brown Jr.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/its-a-shame-carmelo-didnt-end-up-in-portland-sooner">It&rsquo;s a shame Carmelo Anthony didn&rsquo;t end up in Portland sooner</a> &mdash; by Kenyon Martin
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/my-first-time-getting-traded-learning-what-its-like-to-be-dealt-in-the-nba">My first time getting traded: Learning what it's like to be dealt in the NBA</a> &mdash; by Troy Brown Jr.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kwame-brown-stephen-a-smith-stephen-jackson-matt-barnes-charlemagne-etan-thomas-washington-wizards-media">After 20 years of public degradation, Kwame Brown is fed up</a> &mdash; by Etan Thomas
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/paul-george-is-silencing-his-critics-los-angeles-clippers-nba-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul George is silencing his critics</a> &mdash; by Etan Thomas
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-nba-is-big-business-and-players-should-be-allowed-to-act-like-it">The NBA is a big business, and players should be allowed to act like it</a> &mdash; by James Posey
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-doesnt-seem-to-be-succumbing-to-father-time-just-yet">LeBron James doesn&rsquo;t seem to be succumbing to Father Time just yet</a> &mdash; by James Posey

BasketballNews highlights its best stories over the calendar 2021 year.

The Best of BasketballNews: 2021

With his exciting style of play and big personality, it&rsquo;s only a matter of time until Denver Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland becomes a fan favorite. He has already started winning over Denver&rsquo;s fan base and soon, the 21-year-old will likely have fans across the country.
Hyland, the No. 26 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, looks like a potential steal for the Nuggets based on the flashes he has shown so far this season.
On Friday, Hyland dropped a career-high 24 points in 26 minutes (shooting 8-11 from the field and 4-5 from three), while also chipping in 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in the Nuggets' win over the Atlanta Hawks. Last week, Hyland had 16 points, 4 threes, 3 assists and 1 steal (while shooting 50.0% from the field and 44.4% from three) in 23 minutes, helping the Nuggets beat the San Antonio Spurs. In a win over the Miami Heat, he contributed 19 points and 5 threes (on 66.7% shooting from the field and 62.5% from three) in just 21 minutes. He's also had an 18-point, 3-assist, 3-rebound, 2-steal performance and a 15-point, 6-rebound, 4-assist outing &ndash; both of which came in wins.
With that said, you need to watch him play to fully appreciate the Bones Hyland experience. He pulls up from deep, crosses over opponents, dazzles in transition and hits stepback jumpers &ndash; all while talking trash, flexing at the crowd and pumping up everyone in the arena. And once he starts hitting shots and drawing defenders&rsquo; attention, he creates open shots for his teammates.
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&ldquo;That&rsquo;s honestly what I do,&rdquo; Hyland said when asked about winning over the fans in Denver. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m getting more and more comfortable being out there and, as you can see, I&rsquo;m showing a lot more. But that&rsquo;s what I do: I get the crowd involved. I&rsquo;m a fan favorite, I can already tell that. That&rsquo;s been me for my whole life! It&rsquo;s just going to keep happening as the season goes along.&rdquo;
Hyland doesn&rsquo;t lack confidence &ndash; on or off the court. For example, he started some of his meetings at the NBA Draft Combine by rapping for the decision-makers in attendance.
&ldquo;I rapped for some of the teams; I have some songs that I&rsquo;ve made and I did a little snippet of those for them, and they loved it!&rdquo; Hyland told BasketballNews.com in July. &ldquo;Just right off the bat, from the rip, I was rapping. I ain&rsquo;t shy. They just loved me, honestly.&rdquo;
One of those teams was the Nuggets. Hyland said that he instantly felt a special connection with Denver&rsquo;s coaches. Of all his Combine interviews, he said his meeting with the Nuggets went the best.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I just want the world to know: I&rsquo;m that guy who&rsquo;s got the best personality,&rdquo; Hyland said. &ldquo;No matter what, I can light up a room. I can light up a locker room. I just want the world to know that&hellip; [People] love me! (laughs) Just my confidence, my personality... I&rsquo;m just so outgoing, and when I step into a room, it&rsquo;s like I&rsquo;ve known them for so long. It&rsquo;s like we knew each other already. That&rsquo;s the level of confidence that I have and that&rsquo;s the personality that I have. I can light up a room in seconds&hellip; I&rsquo;m a kid that you&rsquo;re gonna fall in love with.&rdquo;
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Hyland believes his ability to win people over and light up a room also makes him a great locker-room presence and leader.
&ldquo;You know how on some teams, they&rsquo;re with each other a little bit, but you can tell that there&rsquo;s a little bit of animosity within them? I feel as though I can come in and be that middle man and make everyone get on the same page and get everyone to respect me,&rdquo; Hyland said before the 2021 NBA Draft. &ldquo;Even though I&rsquo;m young, I&rsquo;m wise beyond my years. They will listen to me and hear where I&rsquo;m coming from, and I can help solve their problems... I&rsquo;m big on building relationships.&rdquo;
Where does Hyland&rsquo;s unlimited confidence come from?
&ldquo;Honestly, that confidence really came from, first of all, the man above &ndash; God gave it to me. But also it came from me trusting in my work,&rdquo; Hyland told BasketballNews.com in July. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always lived by, 'Nobody works harder than me.' So, it came from that as well. I&rsquo;m always ready for the moment. I&rsquo;m never a step or two behind, I&rsquo;m always three steps forward.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Look at the moxie on this dude, Bones Hyland, a delightful player <a href="https://t.co/o579vulvgj">pic.twitter.com/o579vulvgj</a>
&mdash; Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) <a href="https://twitter.com/jackfrank_jjf/status/1459371193291575299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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As if Hyland wasn&rsquo;t likeable enough, he also has one of the coolest names of any player in the league. While his first name is actually Nah&rsquo;Shon, he&rsquo;s been going by Bones since he was a kid.
&ldquo;[I got the nickname] when I was younger. Her name is Chicken; she&rsquo;s a female, she was my best friend, and she gave me that name,&rdquo; Hyland explained. &ldquo;It was probably when we were, like, 10. It just stuck with me. Ever since then, I was like, &lsquo;Man, that&rsquo;s a nice name, I&rsquo;m gonna run with that!&rsquo; And ever since then, it&rsquo;s just been legendary. Everyone would always say both names because we would always be with each other. So, it was like, &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; and then it just went from there.&rdquo;
In college, Hyland proved that he could create his own shot from just about anywhere &ndash; pulling up from well behind the three-point line, scoring at the rim despite being undersized and everything in between. And like Hyland said, he&rsquo;s always been a fan favorite, and his two years at VCU were no exception. With his highlight plays and swagger, he was beloved.
During pre-draft workouts, he continued to display his ability to create instant offense, showing signs that he might eventually be the NBA&rsquo;s next great sixth man if given the right opportunity. Hyland says he watches a lot of Jamal Crawford, Trae Young, Ja Morant and streetball legend Hot Sauce. At one point prior to the draft, he described himself as a better Jordan Clarkson.
&ldquo;My game translates to the next level &ndash; more than a lot of these players in this draft class, honestly,&rdquo; Hyland told BasketballNews.com in July. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m the type of kid who has the kind of scoring ability that a lot of teams need. I&rsquo;m that spark. You see guys like J.C. (Jordan Clarkson) of the Jazz and a lot of guys like that; I have that kind of scoring ability, but I can score in many more ways and I can do many more things than just the things that he does.&rdquo;
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Hyland&rsquo;s transition to the NBA has been pretty smooth, aside from a few rough outings where he struggled to knock down shots (which is to be expected for a rookie). As he continues to play more, he&rsquo;s getting comfortable and developing chemistry with his teammates.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really honestly slowing down for me. I&rsquo;m starting to get the reads more and just getting more comfortable out there,&rdquo; Hyland said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really slowing down for me. [Once it slows down more], that&rsquo;s when it&rsquo;s gonna get scary&hellip; 
"I&rsquo;m just continuing to learn everything and learn my teammates more out there on the floor. I&rsquo;m starting to get more comfortable calling the plays, telling guys [things] and bringing them to the huddle. I&rsquo;m getting more comfortable just being out there and understanding my teammates and what spots they like, and that allows me to get more comfortable [too].&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hyland has impressed his teammates and coaches with his strong play and work ethic. After practices, he&rsquo;s made a habit of sticking around and studying film with the assistant coaches. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has praised Hyland during several postgame press conferences.
&ldquo;My man Bones! &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s get Bizzy Bones!&rsquo;&rdquo; Malone exclaimed earlier this season. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s hitting big shots, talking to the crowd, getting the place going crazy&hellip; You can't measure a young man just by his physical stature. Bones has a really big heart, and I think that's why the fans have come to fall in love with him so early: He plays with a flash, but he also plays his heart out&hellip;
&ldquo;Bones has extreme confidence, he shoots into a big basket and he&rsquo;s not afraid, and I think that&rsquo;s what the veteran players love about him. He&rsquo;s talented, he&rsquo;s young and he&rsquo;s still a work in progress, but he competes, he&rsquo;s not afraid and he&rsquo;s got big balls. He&rsquo;s gonna make big shots. How can you not, as a veteran, love a guy like that?!
&ldquo;What I love about Bones is when he gets into the paint and gets around the basket, he is not forcing tough shots. He is finding guys. He is playing with poise beyond his years&hellip; The best thing about Bones is that the guy is so young and he&rsquo;s only gonna get better. By game 82, he&rsquo;ll be a different player than he is right now and that&rsquo;s what really excites me.&rdquo;
It certainly seems like the Nuggets found a diamond in the rough with the No. 26 pick in this year&rsquo;s draft. And Hyland has a message for the teams that passed on him.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re gonna regret it in the next few years,&rdquo; Hyland said, &ldquo;because I&rsquo;m that golden child, I&rsquo;m that gem.&rdquo;

With his exciting style of play and big personality, it’s only a matter of time until Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland becomes a fan favorite.

Nuggets' Bones Hyland winning over fans: 'You're gonna fall in love!' 

Opening night of the NBA season is just 16 days away, which means this year's top rookies will soon see their dreams come true when they step onto a professional court.&nbsp;
Between the close-to-normal offseason, Las Vegas Summer League and upcoming preseason, we now have a decent grasp on who each player is and what skills they could bring to the court. And while it takes years (decades, arguably) to ultimately assess a career, some young talents can outshine their draft position in a single season.
I'm writing this week's Stats Notebook on the All-Rookie teams, and I'll end by making my predictions for the squads. But the train of thought left the station a few days ago with this stat:
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At least one non-top-20 draft pick has made an All-Rookie First Team in 7 of the last 8 seasons. Who could it be this year 🤔 <a href="https://t.co/5PkFWcaVov">pic.twitter.com/5PkFWcaVov</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1443983998343159842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Patterns exist in recent All-Rookie history; some are obvious, while others are more subtle. I'm going to put them to work to create my teams. First off, let's start with the top picks: Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green. I would consider them both locks to be on the All-Rookie First Team in spring.
Since 2008-09, No. 1 overall draft picks have appeared on all but three All-Rookie First Teams. The exceptions: 2009-10 (when Blake Griffin missed the season due to injury), 2013-14 (Anthony Bennett... didn't work out) and 2016-17 (Ben Simmons did not play due to injury). Griffin and Simmons both were awarded the following season; only Bennett and Markelle Fultz never made an All-Rookie first team. So unless you have an extremely negative view on Cunningham, I'd pencil him in.
Green is perhaps the best scorer in this rookie class. Since 2008-09, 30 qualifying rookies have averaged at least 15 points per game, according to Sportradar. Only three &mdash; Eric Gordon (2008-09), Dennis Smith Jr. (2017-18) and Collin Sexton (2018-19) &mdash; did not make the All-Rookie First Team, and they all landed on the Second Team. If you buy Green as a day-one bucket, which I do, he'll make it.
Jalen Suggs may be another score-first addition to the list. He's not nearly as polished as Jalen counterpart, but the Orlando Magic are a rebuilding team that should prioritize his development. Suggs might be the leading scorer on the team as a rookie, even with a crowded backcourt.&nbsp;
Here's another noteworthy factor: age. At least one player over 21 years old (as of Feb. 1 of that season) has made all but two First Teams since 2008, with the outliers being 2018-19 and 2015-16. I'm a firm nonbeliever of the "age equals NBA-readiness" agenda. But a statistic is a statistic.
The top-five picks who will clear age-21 by February are: Davion Mitchell, James Bouknight, Chris Duarte, Corey Kispert and Trey Murphy III. Depending on your thoughts regarding each player's available minutes, I'd consider them as the primary options to check this box.&nbsp;
Finally, we'll return to the Twitter stat, and spell out those surprise players who made the All-Rookie First Team:
<ul>
<li>2020-21: Jae'Sean Tate (undrafted)</li>
<li>2019-20: Brandon Clarke (No. 21), Eric Paschall (No. 41) and Kendrick Nunn (undrafted)</li>
<li>2018-19: None (The All-Rookie First Team was literally the top five draft picks)</li>
<li>2017-18: Kyle Kuzma (No. 27)</li>
<li>2016-17: Malcolm Brogdon (No. 36), Willy Hernangomez (No. 35)</li>
<li>2015-16: Nikola Jokic (No. 41 in 2014)</li>
<li>2014-15: Jordan Clarkson (No. 46)</li>
<li>2013-14: Mason Plumlee (No. 22), Tim Hardaway Jr. (No. 24)</li>
<li>2012-13: None (lowest was No. 7 pick Harrison Barnes)</li>
<li>2011-12: Kenneth Faried (No. 24)</li>
</ul>
So in eight of the last 10 seasons, a player selected after pick No. 20 cracked the All-Rookie First Team. That's a pretty large pool, but we can try to narrow it.&nbsp;
Four of these honorees made the list on playoff teams: Kenneth Faried with the Denver Nuggets, Mason Plumlee with the Brooklyn Nets, and Kendrick Nunn with the Miami Heat. Also, only Plumlee and Willy Hernangomez averaged less than 20 minutes per game. So following the trend, this selection would have to have a clear path to playing time, and that probably happens with a franchise unlikely to make the postseason.
It's still a bit of a wild-card selection, but Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher immediately stand out as potential options on the Houston Rockets. Second-round picks Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins could receive opportunities with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Logical fallacies exist with this layout &mdash; some "qualifiers" could overlap with each other. But given all of this, here's how my All-Rookie First Team looks:
Preseason All-Rookie First Team: Cade Cunningham (G), Jalen Suggs (G), Jalen Green (G), Trey Murphy III (F), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (F)
For the Second Team, I'll only add one additional note. Four of the last five eligible (2018-19 doesn't work for obvious reasons) lists included at least one top-five pick on an All-Rookie Second Team. Given that Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley should both have rotation roles with their respective squads, I feel good about marking them down. Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland makes the cut because he could be an electric microwave scorer in Denver with the absence of Jamal Murray.
Preseason All-Rookie Second Team: Davion Mitchell (G), Bones Hyland (G), Scottie Barnes (F), Evan Mobley (F), Alperen Sengun (C)
As always, remember that these are just All-Rookie teams and not career projections. Based on some of the earlier names I mentioned, it's pretty clear that making an All-Rookie team isn't exactly a ticket to Springfield. But with such a deep rookie class, I think the races this year could be extremely fun to track.

Ethan Fuller looks at past All-Rookie honorees to predict this year's teams.

Stats Notebook: Predicting the NBA All-Rookie teams from past trends

It&rsquo;s not often that the team who has the defending MVP on its roster is flying well-under the radar heading into the following season &mdash; but that&rsquo;s exactly what is happening with the Denver Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic epitomizes the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ranking-the-nba-top-10-unicorns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unicorn mold</a> that is so valuable and transcendent within the modern NBA. As a 7-footer who can operate the offense and score efficiently from all three levels, Jokic manipulates defenses with rare savvy. Jokic is like Peyton Manning, thinking two or three moves ahead and putting defenders exactly where he pleases. The end result? Easy baskets for optimum offensive output. After averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists on an outstanding 64.7% True Shooting percentage, Jokic is just now reaching his top form on the basketball court.
Denver has magnificently built a team to strengthen his incredible gifts.
Jamal Murray is the perfect 1B to Jokic&rsquo;s 1A, a flamethrowing scorer who can erupt at will. In addition, Michael Porter Jr.&rsquo;s development as a scorer adds another wrinkle to the Nuggets&rsquo; long-term ceiling. Looking back on it, Porter dropping to No. 14 overall because of back concerns was a gamble that could have changed the fortunes of Denver&rsquo;s window with Jokic. Aaron Gordon is a bulky, uber-athletic big who can guard three positions and move effectively without the ball, capitalizing on easy cuts to the rim. To top it off, Will Barton and 2021 first-round pick <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/qa-nba-draft-prospect-nahshon-bones-hyland-demands-your-attention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nah&rsquo;Shon &ldquo;Bones&rdquo; Hyland</a> provide microwave scoring off the bench and can further supplement a continuous wave of offensive firepower.
Looking ahead to the 2021-22 season, how does Denver stack up? With Murray&rsquo;s rehab moving forward from a torn ACL &mdash; a setback that really dampened Denver&rsquo;s high-end outcome last season &mdash; a potentially slow start could be in store. Murray&rsquo;s projected timetable for a return could last until around the All-Star break or later, which means Jokic and Porter will have to buoy the Nuggets&rsquo; output every night. We know what to expect from Jokic, but Porter having the opportunities to further his talented rise is a great scenario for Denver. From April 6 and on, Porter averaged 21.4 points while shooting 42.7% on three-pointers in 32 games. This was a preview of Porter&rsquo;s upcoming role as the top secondary option behind Jokic, one that will play such a critical factor to Denver maintaining its elite status without Murray.
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Porter has flashed immense potential as a scorer, but he still needs work as a defender and playmaker. During the Western Conference semifinals, Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams told his star backcourt duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker to continuously hunt Porter in switch opportunities. Once Phoenix figured this formula out, the team made Porter nearly unplayable while Denver was swept with emphatic fashion. If Porter is able to take strides forward as a passable defender &mdash; similar to the development we&rsquo;ve actually seen from Booker in Phoenix, actually &mdash; it will go a long way toward him reaching a potential star-level profile within the Association.
When you look outside of the Nuggets&rsquo; trio of Jokic, Porter and Gordon, it&rsquo;s an unproven bunch that will need to supplement well-rounded play in Murray&rsquo;s absence. Until the "Blue Arrow" returns to play Robin to Jokic&rsquo;s Batman, Denver will need more development from its young core. Hyland shined in the summer league, further hammering home the case that he should play an immediate role off the bench to alleviate the pressure off Jokic and Porter. However, question marks loom over the big-man duo behind Jokic: Bol Bol and Zeke Nnaji. Bol is a true wildcard, but he&rsquo;s never been utilized within the Nuggets&rsquo; rotation as he enters the final year of his contract. Meanwhile, Nnaji had a rough summer-league outing where he looked lost at points. If neither can step up, Jokic is in line to lead the NBA in minutes played this season.
Let&rsquo;s take a look at the Nuggets rotation without Murray for the 2021-22 campaign:
Starters: Monte Morris, Will Barton, Michael Porter, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Second Unit: Facundo Campazzo, Bones Hyland, Austin Rivers, P.J. Dozier, JaMychal Green, Bol Bol
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It&rsquo;s a lot of question marks and unproven depth behind a solid starting lineup, which maybe caps where Denver can go this season without a fully healthy Murray providing scoring fireworks. The Suns exposed the Nuggets in the playoffs, and surely many teams will test that theory to further extends early on. If Denver stumbles out of the gate, the team's ceiling could be a No. 4 seed. However, as we saw once Murray went down, Jokic can carry a roster single-handedly. If Jokic maintains MVP-level production, which should be a near-lock, Denver can stay afloat near the elite tier of the West. Are they better than Phoenix, Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers and potentially even a Dallas team with a forthcoming superstar leap again from Luka Doncic? Probably not.
Denver will need Porter to produce Murray-esque levels of offensive production, while Gordon needs to be more assertive within the streamline of the Nuggets' free-flowing offense that runs through their jumbo-sized playmaker.
Once Murray returns, Denver has already shown how lethal it can be. If you add another dynamic scorer to the mix in Porter &mdash; whose confidence should reach all-time highs in Murray's absence &mdash; this team can go on a run. Murray&rsquo;s wildcard factor late into the regular season and playoffs will be the top factor to watch with Denver.
If Murray is back to Murray &mdash; soul-snatching, back-breaking moments as a deadly scorer &mdash; the Nuggets are ready to pounce as a dark-horse contender who can make a deep run. Jokic and Porter will need to keep the Nuggets afloat and within a solid positioning, and the Nuggets hope to have Murray provide the much-needed jolt of stability and star-power back into the equation.
We don&rsquo;t talk enough about the Nuggets heading into the 2021-22 season. But it&rsquo;s the Nuggets&rsquo; 1B to their MVP who truly holds the trump card for where they can go upon Murray's eventual return.

The Nuggets are flying under the radar. Will they be able to maintain elite status in the West as Jamal Murray rehabs from an injury?

Will Nuggets stay afloat in West without Jamal Murray?

Seven days into NBA Summer League, we continue to see young talents and NBA hopefuls make names for themselves in Las Vegas.&nbsp;
More and more teams are shutting down their top prospects due to rest or minor injuries. That means others are getting the chance to shine in featured roles. Only one or two games remain on the schedule for each team, so players have just a few more opportunities to make an impression before training camp.
As always, here are my individual observations from Saturday's slate.&nbsp;
STUDS
Bones Hyland, guard, Denver Nuggets
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BONES BUCKETS 🦴 No. 26 pick Nah'Shon Hyland drops 28 PTS (5 3PM) to lead the <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nuggets</a> to their first win of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a>! <a href="https://t.co/Sh9Gd6bU8T">pic.twitter.com/Sh9Gd6bU8T</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1426657381795045378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 28 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 9-for-17 FG, 5-for-8 3PT
The No. 26 overall pick had his breakout summer-league game in an 89-85 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Hyland is an absolute microwave, with a solid handle and an ability to get into his shot form quickly. Though he struggled finishing at the rim early, Hyland showed he could get defenders on his hip, get low and blow by them, and use his length to get to the backboard. When he gets hot, his confidence is extremely fun to watch.
Skylar Mays, guard, Atlanta Hawks
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Skylar Mays: Smooth. 📺 ESPN <a href="https://t.co/Og8f8lGMcW">pic.twitter.com/Og8f8lGMcW</a>
&mdash; LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/LSUBasketball/status/1426658762434166788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 26 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 7-for-17 FG, 2-for-6 3PT
Mays relentlessly attacked the basket and made his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame feel like a freight train. The 23-year-old helped the Hawks get back into the game in the second quarter and led them to a 94-90 victory. In the absence of Sharife Cooper, he served as the floor general and had an excellent rapport with Jalen Johnson. Mays also did a great job of getting into passing lanes and pressuring the ball as a defender.&nbsp;
Jalen Johnson, guard, Atlanta Hawks
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Jalen Johnson corner 3 then shows the on ball defense, forcing the miss from Okpala <a href="https://t.co/aNnQx5vHW1">pic.twitter.com/aNnQx5vHW1</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1426661390538919938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 9-for-15 FG, 3-for-6 FG
Johnson looked smooth as silk in this contest, splashing face-up attempts and catch-and-shoot threes. He facilitated a really neat play to end the half for Atlanta; Johnson held the ball at the top of the key as Skylar Mays ran behind him, drawing defenders, and then Johnson hit Admiral Schofield off a flare screen for a three-pointer. Of course, the No. 20 overall selection also served as a highlight-reel lob threat.
Scottie Barnes, forward, Toronto Raptors
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Scottie Barnes showed out with 23 PTS against the Hornets ♨️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> <a href="https://t.co/6NQ5VGTpL9">pic.twitter.com/6NQ5VGTpL9</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1426718576719798278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 10-for-18 FG, 1-for-3 3PT
Barnes' defense was awesome. He legitimately guarded 1-through-5 with success, clamping opponents from James Bouknight to Kai Jones. On offense, the fourth overall pick detonated in transition to propel him to those 23 points. But Barnes also took guys off the dribble and finished acrobatically at the rim. He still needs to find a rhythm mid-range shot, but Barnes already contributes in so many areas for Toronto.
Miles McBride, guard, New York Knicks
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Miles McBride : 23 points (9-14 shooting &amp; 5-8 from 3), 4 rebounds, 5 assists &amp; 2 steals in 33 minutes <a href="https://t.co/BSXvgofksL">pic.twitter.com/BSXvgofksL</a>
&mdash; Lee Harvey (@AyeThatsLee) <a href="https://twitter.com/AyeThatsLee/status/1426772246459211776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 23 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 9-for-14 FG, 5-for-8 3PT
Quentin Grimes led the team with 28 points, but I thought McBride was the best and most impressive player on the court in New York's 103-94 victory over Cleveland. The second-round guard took on more of a lead role with Immanuel Quickley out. Though he gave up four turnovers, McBride was fearless as a passer and creator. He frequently pulled up for long two-pointers and threes, which is a critical area to watch for him as a scoring guard. And McBride's hounding defense was present as always.
Other notable performers: Saben Lee (Pistons), Luka Garza (Pistons), Max Strus (Heat), Nate Hinton (Mavericks), Chris Duarte (Pacers), Quentin Grimes (Knicks), Obi Toppin (Knicks), Lamar Stevens (Cavaliers)
DUDS
Jaden Springer, guard, Philadelphia 76ers
Box Score Stats: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3-for-11 FG, 0-for-2 3PT
Thursday's 100-80 loss to the Celtics was partially frustrating because the Sixers, despite sitting Tyrese Maxey, scarcely gave Springer time on the ball. They instead went with Isaiah Joe and Frank Mason as the lead guards. Springer had to do most of his work off movement and off the catch, and was unsuccessful. He also continues to struggle with gaining separation, though he has been adept at finding pockets in the defense.
Theo Maledon, guard, Oklahoma City Thunder
Box Score Stats: 0 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 0-for-7 FG, 0-for-4 3PT
Like Springer, Maledon was held back due to a cold touch and lack of burst. He still facilitated well as the point guard for OKC, but missed a few attempts at the rim as well as all of his three-point attempts. The 20-year-old is 7-for-25 from deep in summer league, but five of those makes came in a single game. He canned 33.5% of his long-range looks as a rookie.
Nick Richards, center, Charlotte Hornets
Box Score Stats: 3 points, 8 rebounds, 1-for-5 FG, 0-for-1 3PT
Richards came in for Vernon Carey Jr. and played 24 minutes for Charlotte. But the seven-footer was ineffective as an interior presence. He missed some easy buckets inside and was lost when Toronto pushed the pace late in the game. It was a strange fit with fellow paint finisher Kai Jones, and the two did not mesh particularly well.&nbsp;

Two Atlanta Hawks players showed out on the seventh day of NBA Summer League.

Studs and duds from the seventh day of NBA Summer League

The Denver Nuggets have selected Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland with the No. 26 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
ANALYSIS: Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland is a skilled guard who easily has legitimate NBA range as a three-point shooter. In two seasons at VCU, he hit 39.9% of his 331 three-point attempts. He broke out as a sophomore, averaging 19.5 points per game. He lacks the ability to play as a true point guard, but he's a good playmaker who can create looks for both himself and others. If he cleans up his shot selection and defensive discipline, he projects nicely at the next level.
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The Denver Nuggets have selected Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland with the No. 26 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

2021 NBA Draft: Nuggets pick Nah'Shon Hyland No. 26

The 2021 NBA Draft is approaching, rumors are flying and basketball fans are anxiously awaiting where the next generation of talent will land on Thursday night.
Draft week is underway. The New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies reportedly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mem-trades-jonas-valanciunas-no-17-pick-to-pelicans-for-eric-bledsoe-no-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed on a layered trade</a> that should only mark the beginning of a chaotic few days.
BasketballNews.com's Lead Draft Analyst Matt Babcock recently updated his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 NBA Mock Draft</a> with some of his latest predictions and intel. Babcock and his draft team have been full-throttle in recent weeks, so in order to learn more about what went into his predictions, we dug a little deeper to get a pulse on the league ahead of Thursday night. Below are Babcock's latest insights:
Cade Cunningham has been the public favorite to go No. 1 to the Detroit Pistons since the lottery. While Detroit is surely doing its due diligence, is there any reason to doubt that Cunningham will be the first name we hear on Thursday night?
Matt Babcock: I expect Cade Cunningham to be the top overall pick in this draft, selected by the Detroit Pistons. However, I&rsquo;ve been told that the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder have been knocking the Pistons&rsquo; door down. Rumor has it that the Thunder offered the No. 6 pick and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in exchange for No. 1 -- the Pistons declined. If the Pistons receive an offer better than that one, they may need to seriously consider it.
Scottie Barnes has moved up to No. 4 in your latest mock draft, breaking through what is generally considered to be a four-player top tier of Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs. What inspired you to make that change?
Babcock: Scottie Barnes&rsquo; draft stock seems to be at an all-time high. There's a lot of buzz swirling around that he&rsquo;ll be going to either the Toronto Raptors at No. 4 or Orlando Magic at No. 5. I&rsquo;m not completely convinced that Barnes will end up in Toronto at No. 4; however, it&rsquo;s what I decided to go with for now.
Another thing worth noting is that I&rsquo;ve heard Toronto is very high on Evan Mobley, who I do not think will be available at No. 4. I could see a trade between Toronto and either Houston or the Cleveland Cavaliers making sense. 
Josh Giddey, Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba headline the draft's international class. What do you see their respective ranges being?
Babcock:&nbsp;Josh Giddey from Australia seems to be a hot commodity right now. I have been told that Golden State likes him at No. 7, but that the Warriors are supposedly being assertive on the trade market.
I had heard that the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston were teams that could move into the lottery in an effort to select Giddey. Memphis just struck a deal with New Orleans, which now gives them the No. 10 pick. Subsequently, I do not see Giddey getting out of the top 10, much less the lottery.
Alperen Sengun seems to be in a very good situation. I&rsquo;ve heard his name being suggested as an option for teams picking as high as No. 8, which is Orlando&rsquo;s pick. I&rsquo;ve also heard his name linked to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 11, San Antonio Spurs at No. 12, and Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 16. It&rsquo;s looking as if Sengun's chances of being taken in the lottery are pretty high.
Although maybe not ranked quite as high as Sengun overall, Usman Garuba is also generating a lot of interest from teams. His name has been linked to the New York Knicks as well as Houston.
One interesting note with Garuba: I&rsquo;ve been told that his buyout with Real Madrid is for $3 million, which is just ungodly. It doesn&rsquo;t sound as if it is going to limit teams from selecting him; however, a large bulk of that buyout will have to come out of Garuba&rsquo;s own pocket, which just doesn&rsquo;t seem fair.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15413947_lg.jpg" alt="" width="557" height="371" />
What prospects are elevating their status from the second round to the first round?
Babcock: The pre-draft process has been kind to both Josh Primo from Alabama and Nah'Shon Bones Hyland from VCU, as both have put themselves smack dab in the middle of discussions among teams selecting in the twenties. I would not be surprised to hear one or both of their names called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in the first round.
What prospects are seeing their draft stock slip in the closing weeks?
Babcock: Jonathan Kuminga was widely reported as a projected top-5 pick for most of the year; however, it&rsquo;s looking like there is a strong possibility that he goes either No. 7 or No. 8 overall now. Two other names that could potentially slip a little bit are Jalen Johnson from Duke and Sharife Cooper from Auburn.
Five teams (Oklahoma City, Orlando, Golden State, New York and Houston) currently own multiple first-round picks. Do you expect movement from any of these squads?
Babcock: There has been so much trade chatter this year among those teams, but most of the other teams, too. I fully expect there to be a ton of movement prior to, or during, this year&rsquo;s draft.
Baylor's Jared Butler was recently cleared by the NBA's Fitness-to-Play panel. Now that he has been cleared, what do you anticipate his range to be?
Babcock: One thing to keep in mind is that being cleared by the NBA&rsquo;s Fitness-to-Play panel is completely different from being cleared by each team&rsquo;s doctors. I&rsquo;m absolutely hoping for the best for Butler, but I don&rsquo;t think he is completely out of the woods, as I still think it&rsquo;s more than possible that he could be medically red-flagged by some teams.
However, a rumor that I hope to be true, for Butler&rsquo;s sake, is that the Thunder have their eyes set on Butler with the No. 18 pick.
Have any franchises been particularly tough to get a read on in the pre-draft process?
Babcock: Typically, gathering information about the San Antonio Spurs&rsquo; intentions is comparable to breaking into Fort Knox. This year is not any different.
Lastly, what remaining surprises could be in store as we watch this year's NBA Draft?
Babcock: That&rsquo;s all I have for you at the moment, but new information has been coming in at a rapid pace. We are set to do a live-stream show during the NBA Draft on Thursday, July 29, starting at 7:45 p.m. ET. My colleague, Derek Murray, and I will be providing analysis on each draft pick while also sharing the latest intel that we&rsquo;ve gathered -- so be sure to tune in.
Be sure to follow along with Matt Babcock and BasketballNews.com for the latest on the draft and offseason. To see BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.

Matt Babcock shares his insights ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft, including rumors surrounding trade chatter and prospect stocks.

2021 NBA Draft: Matt Babcock on rumors, trades, risers, fallers

With the 2021 NBA Draft just days away, BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has put together a list of the top available prospects by position.
Here are the best point guards in this year's class:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/cade-cunningham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State</a>
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Widely considered the favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cade Cunningham has very few holes in his game. At 6-foot-8, he can play multiple positions including being a floor general who can carry his team&rsquo;s offense in crunch time when necessary. He has a tremendous basketball IQ and is improving as a shooter. Although he is not an elite athlete, he is perhaps the safest bet to have a long and successful NBA career of all the players in this year's draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-suggs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga</a>
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Suggs&rsquo; intelligence and feel may be the best of any prospect in this draft class. He&rsquo;s a true point guard on the offensive end who has superior toughness and court presence. He is also a capable defender who has shown glimpses of the two-way star that he could become. If he is able to improve his consistency as a shooter, he will provide high-level value in the NBA for years to come.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/joshua-giddey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Giddey, Adelaide 36ers</a>
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Josh Giddey has continued to improve at a rapid rate throughout this season in Australia. While he isn't overly athletic, at 6-foot-8, his court vision and basketball IQ shine through in everything he does on the court. An intelligent initiator with positional size and versatility, Giddey is a valuable asset in today's NBA.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/davion-mitchell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Davion Mitchell, Baylor</a>
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After a memorable season that saw his Baylor Bears win the national championship, no one has helped themselves over the past year as much as Davion Mitchell. An elite, physical, and pesky on-ball defender and a much-improved outside shooter and playmaker, Mitchell has entered the conversation as a possible lottery pick.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jared-butler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jared Butler, Baylor</a>
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One of the best shooters in college basketball this past season - both off of the dribble and from catch-and-shoot opportunities - Jared Butler was a key part of Baylor&rsquo;s success. In addition to spreading the floor, he showed that he&rsquo;s an effective playmaker, as he constantly created open looks for his entire team. On the defensive end, he is a pest on the ball, often disrupting ball-handlers creating turnovers. Butler is a highly intelligent player who is impactful on both ends of the floor. From a talent standpoint, he is more than capable of being a solid, reliable guard in the NBA.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/sharife-cooper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sharife Cooper, Auburn</a>
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Cooper's impact on offense is undeniable. He is the best passer and facilitator in the draft, and he has an ability to collapse defenses and make jaw-dropping passes on the move. He has elite court vision, but he&rsquo;s also a crafty finisher at the rim. He's undersized and his ability to shoot from deep is a big swing skill, but he's shown that he should be able to run an offense at the next level.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/tre-mann" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tre Mann, Florida</a>
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Having vastly improved from his freshman to sophomore season, Tre Mann, a 6-foot-5 combo guard, has solidified himself as one of the better guards in this year&rsquo;s draft. His footwork, pull-up shooting, creativity, passing, and ability to play on or off the ball make him a hot commodity.
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Mostly known for his defensive prowess and frustrating opposing ball-handlers, there is more to McBride's game than just that. He averaged nearly 16.0 points per game while hitting 41% of his three-point attempts this season, giving promise to real two-way impact at the next level. He is a bit undersized for his position, but he's a hard-nosed competitor who makes winning plays.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/nah-shon-hyland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland, VCU</a>
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Nah'shon "Bones" Hyland is a skilled guard who easily has legitimate NBA range as a three-point shooter. In two seasons at VCU, he hit 39.9% of his 331 three-point attempts. He broke out as a sophomore, averaging 19.5 points per game. He lacks the ability to play as a true point guard, but he's a good playmaker who can create looks for both himself and others. If he cleans up his shot selection and defensive discipline, he projects nicely at the next level.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/david-duke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Duke Jr., Providence</a>
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At 6-foot-4 with a powerful frame, David Duke is a lead guard who can score on multiple levels. He plays with a good combination of burst and change-of-pace as he attacks the rim. He was also able to knock down 38.9% of his three-point attempts this past season. Duke's rim finishing and jump shooting will need to be more consistent at the next level, but he has the tools and toughness to carve out a role in the NBA.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/marcus-zegarowski" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marcus Zegarowski, Creighton</a>
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Although a bit undersized at 6-foot-1, Marcus Zegarowski excels as a facilitator, playmaker, and shooter. He connected on 42.1% of his three-point attempts this season, while attempting 6.6 per game. He's reliable as a pull-up shooter and is solid as a lead ball-handling facilitator. The former Creighton Bluejay has potential to serve as a solid backup point guard at the next level.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/d-j-steward" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DJ Steward, Duke</a>
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A point guard in high school, DJ Steward earned a spot in the McDonald's All-American Game due to his speed and playmaking ability. At Duke, he was asked to play off-ball more than ever before, averaging 13.0 points and shooting 34.0% from deep. Look for him to play on-ball more at the next level as he continues to improve as both a distributor and shooter.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/daishen-nix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daishen Nix, G League Ignite</a>
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At 6-foot-3, Daishen Nix is an excellent passer with great vision, and he averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 assists in 16 Bubble games for the G League Ignite this season. He has a powerful frame and has shown the ability to create for his teammates at a high level. He'll need to improve his engagement and technique on defense, but there is a lot to like in Nix as a primary ball-handler.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/david-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Johnson, Louisville</a>
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David Johnson is an intelligent, anticipatory passer on offense, and an instinctual playmaker on defense. Johnson's outside shooting has been streaky throughout his two seasons at Louisville, but he plays with a strong basketball IQ and can provide value on both ends of the floor. He projects well as a defensive-minded, facilitating backup point guard.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jason-preston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Preston, Ohio</a>
Jason Preston was one of the most productive players in the country last season, leading Ohio to the NCAA Tournament. He has a unique ability to facilitate for teammates, while also knocking down 39.0% of his shots from deep. He had a 38.5-inch max vertical at the NBA Combine, and is a viable option for being selected in the 2021 NBA Draft.&nbsp;
To see BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.

Matt Babcock lists his best point guard prospects in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft.

2021 NBA Draft: Top point guards in this class

Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland can light up a room with ease.&nbsp;
The 20-year-old is confident that he has the best personality of any player in the 2021 NBA Draft, and he has tried to display this during the pre-draft process. When he interviewed with teams at the NBA Combine, he kicked off some of his meetings with a rap performance. Hyland is extremely personable, treating complete strangers like close friends that he&rsquo;s known for years.
On the court, he has drawn comparisons to Jamal Crawford, Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson, among others. As a sophomore at VCU, Hyland averaged 19.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 threes, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals on 53.9/37.1/86.2 shooting splits. BasketballNews.com recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/behind-the-scenes-with-2021-nba-draft-prospect-nahshon-bones-hyland-vcu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent time in the gym with Hyland to get a behind-the-scenes look</a> at his pre-draft training.
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In <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft</a>, our Matt Babcock has Hyland going No. 27 overall to the Brooklyn Nets. Babcock&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/nah-shon-hyland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scouting profile of Hyland</a> reads: 
&ldquo;Nah'shon &lsquo;Bones&rsquo; Hyland is a skilled guard who easily has legitimate NBA range as a three-point shooter. In two seasons at VCU, he hit 39.9% of his 331 three-point attempts. He broke out as a sophomore, averaging 19.5 points per game. He lacks the ability to play as a true point guard, but he's a good playmaker who can create looks for both himself and others. If he cleans up his shot selection and defensive discipline, he projects nicely at the next level.&rdquo;
Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Hyland, and he opened up about his game, why he feels he&rsquo;s the top point guard in this draft, his outgoing personality, how he can help an NBA team, his off-court interests, how a childhood tragedy changed his life and much more.
I love your confidence. Early on in this process, you talked about how you were going to shine at the Combine and dominate workouts, and then you did exactly that. Have you always been like that? And where does that confidence come from?
Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland: &ldquo;Yeah, honestly, that confidence really came from, first of all, the man above &ndash; God gave it to me &ndash; but also it came from me trusting in my work. I&rsquo;ve always lived by: 'Nobody works harder than me.' So, it came from that as well. I&rsquo;m always ready for the moment. I&rsquo;m never a step or two behind, I&rsquo;m always three steps forward.&rdquo;
After the Combine, there was a lot of buzz about your performance. What did it mean to you to make the most of that opportunity and shine on that stage?
Hyland: &ldquo;It just shows them how much I&rsquo;ve been working and how much I&rsquo;ve been waiting for this moment my whole life. March Madness was taken away from me, so I came into that Combine like, &lsquo;This is my March Madness; this is my coming-out party. I&rsquo;m about to show the world that I&rsquo;m the top point guard in this draft class.&rsquo; I wanted to show them that, and I feel as though I displayed a lot of my talents. I definitely put them on notice, and I turned a lot of heads toward me, for sure.&rdquo;
Over the years, I&rsquo;ve seen a number of scorers who really helped their stock during the pre-draft process because they were able to get hot and dominate their workouts. I feel like this process is perfect for someone with your skill set. Would you agree with that?
Hyland: &ldquo;Exactly. Yeah! (laughs) -- It almost feels like all of these teams are playing catch-up with me, honestly. I say that because I feel as though they was [high] on a lot of other players and now they&rsquo;re [high] on me, and it feels great. I really showed these teams that I could&rsquo;ve helped them during this playoff run, or that I can help them go from a losing team to a winning team with my attributes. I feel as though I put them on notice, in a lot of ways.&rdquo;
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Another thing I like about you is that you really seem to love the game. I&rsquo;ve heard that a lot of today&rsquo;s younger players don&rsquo;t really play pick-up or 21 or anything &ndash; they just do their drills and then only play the games on their team&rsquo;s schedule.&nbsp;
Hyland: &ldquo;Yup! Exactly.&rdquo;
But with you, I&rsquo;ve seen videos of you playing streetball and pick-up. I feel like you&rsquo;d be playing basketball every day even if you weren&rsquo;t trying to make it to the NBA. Is that rare nowadays? And if so, why do you think that is?
Hyland: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s very rare. It just shows you that the love of the game has gone away from a lot of players, honestly. They just want to work out and they don&rsquo;t want to play as much. They don&rsquo;t want to get no bump in; they just want to work out and then leave the gym. And, man, I get mad. I get frustrated because I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;What are you coming to the gym for if you only want to work out? You aren&rsquo;t gonna play?! You don&rsquo;t want to get better by playing?&rsquo; I&rsquo;m the type of kid where I want to play basketball! Basketball is so fun! First, I want to dominate everybody in the gym, but I want to have fun in the gym as well. It don&rsquo;t matter if it&rsquo;s 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 -- I can play [a] mad [amount of] games in one day and then have a game the next day and still kill, because that&rsquo;s just the type of player that I am.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I just have a different love of the game. You can speak to anyone about that, and they&rsquo;ll tell you the same thing: I get mad at people who don&rsquo;t like to play basketball. Even in college, when a lot of the players just wanted to sit out and nobody wanted to come have runs in the gym at night or during the day, I was like, &lsquo;What are we here for?! You all just want to sit in your rooms?&rsquo; It made me frustrated, but I can only control what I can control. Whether we had the runs or not, I still got my work in. And I&rsquo;d always try to get at least a little bump in here and there.&rdquo;&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve talked to some older players about that and they were confused by it. I remember Jamal Crawford was confused by it, like, &ldquo;Playing pick-up is the fun part! What do you mean you don&rsquo;t want to play?!&rdquo;&nbsp;
Hyland: &ldquo;Exactly! (laughs) Like, I look forward to that type of stuff! I&rsquo;m gon&rsquo; go at them guys! It&rsquo;s sort of like why I should be that No. 1 guy, for sure. [I] just have them vibes on the court, you know? For a lot of people, the love of the game went away.&rdquo;
Speaking of which, when did you first fall in love with basketball?
Hyland: &ldquo;When I was about 2 years old, honestly. My brother installed basketball into my life. We went to the park and he just gave me a basketball, and I just fell in love with how the ball bounces, how it sounds, how the ball goes into the net&hellip; And ever since then, I just ran with it and it&rsquo;s been my passion.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Who are some players that you&rsquo;ve modeled your game after or studied?
Hyland: &ldquo;None, honestly. I do like to watch players like Jamal Crawford. I like to watch Ja [Morant]. I like to watch Trae [Young]. But nah, I don&rsquo;t try to model my game after anybody. I feel I have a very unique game. But I definitely like those players, though.&rdquo;
You love to get out in transition and pull up for deep threes and things like that. Do you think your game is a perfect fit for today&rsquo;s NBA?
Hyland: &ldquo;Most definitely. Like I said, a lot of teams are starting to inch toward me because they&rsquo;ve seen how much my game translates to the next level &ndash; more than a lot of these players in this draft class, honestly. I&rsquo;m the type of kid who has the kind of scoring ability that a lot of teams need. I&rsquo;m that spark. You see guys like J.C. (Jordan Clarkson) of the Jazz and a lot of guys like that; I have that kind of scoring ability, but I can score in many more ways and I can do many more things than just the things that he does. I feel as though I&rsquo;m that guy that teams should invest in, for sure.&rdquo;
What are some aspects of your game that you&rsquo;re focused on improving?
Hyland: &ldquo;All areas. I feel as though I&rsquo;m a very solid defender, but I&rsquo;m working on my defense. I want to just keep improving on everything, honestly.&rdquo;
You got the nickname &ldquo;Bones&rdquo; because you were so skinny. When did that nickname first come about and who gave it to you?
Hyland: &ldquo;When I was younger. Her name is Chicken. She&rsquo;s a female, and she was my best friend. She gave me that name and it was probably when we were, like, 10. It just stuck with me. Ever since then, I was like, &lsquo;Man, that&rsquo;s a nice name, I&rsquo;m gonna run with that!&rsquo; And ever since then, it&rsquo;s just been legendary.&rdquo;&nbsp;
So since you were best friends, you two were &ldquo;Chicken Bones&rdquo; then?
Hyland: &ldquo;Yes! (laughs) And everyone would always say both names because we would always be with each other. So, it was like, &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; &lsquo;Chicken and Bones,&rsquo; and then it just went from there. (laughs) That just shows those names are legendary, for sure. Like, those are some nice names!&rdquo;
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Are there any misconceptions about you or your game that you&rsquo;re trying to disprove throughout this process?&nbsp;
Hyland: &ldquo;Uh, no, not at all. I&rsquo;m the same man, and I don&rsquo;t want to change nothing about me. I don&rsquo;t have no regrets. I just want the world to know: I&rsquo;m that guy who got the best personality. No matter what, I can light up a room. I can light up a locker room. I just want the world to know that.&rdquo;
You&rsquo;re very personable and easy to talk to, which I&rsquo;m sure helps you when you&rsquo;re interviewing with teams.
Hyland: &ldquo;Yeah, they love me. Every single one! In every interview, they love me. (laughs) Just my confidence, my personality... I rap for some of the teams. I&rsquo;m just so outgoing, and when I step into a room, it [feels] like I&rsquo;ve known them for so long. It&rsquo;s like we knew each other already. That&rsquo;s the level of confidence that I have and that&rsquo;s also the personality that I have. I can light up a room in seconds.&rdquo;
You rapped when you interviewed with some teams? That&rsquo;s incredible!
Hyland: &ldquo;Yeah, I have some songs that I&rsquo;ve made and I did a little snippet of those for them, and they loved it! Just right off the bat, from the rip, I was rapping. I ain&rsquo;t shy, I ain&rsquo;t nothing. They just loved me, honestly.&rdquo;
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I found some of your tracks on YouTube. When did you start rapping?
Hyland: &ldquo;Back in 2018, I started rapping because I faced the house tragedy. I just found a different passion and love, and it was rapping &ndash; releasing my thoughts through the mic, and it would help me. It was very therapeutic for me.&rdquo;&nbsp;
[Editor&rsquo;s Note: In 2018, when Hyland was 17, his house caught on fire, killing his grandmother, Fay, and his 11-month-old brother, Maurice. He escaped through a second-story window, tearing his patella when he landed on the ground.]
I <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/06/nba-draft-bones-hyland-nahshon-vcu-top-prospects-sleepers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read about the tragedy</a>, and I&rsquo;m so sorry you had to go through that. I didn&rsquo;t realize that you turned to rap as a way to cope with that.
Hyland: &ldquo;It was more so, like... I couldn&rsquo;t hoop, so I had to find something else or I was gonna go crazy.&rdquo;
I&rsquo;m glad you found music. How did that life-changing tragedy change you?&nbsp;
Hyland: &ldquo;It shaped me into a wise young man, honestly. I just showed a lot of people how tough I really am. And no matter how much adversity is coming my way, I won&rsquo;t ever give up. God kept his palm on me, and I&rsquo;m just blessed to be here. I wake up with a smile every day. That changed my life forever.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s a great way of looking at it. You mentioned having the best personality. Do you try to be that glue guy in the locker room who is friendly with everyone? And do you think your personality allows you to make an impact off the court as well?&nbsp;
Hyland: &ldquo;Yeah. You know how on some teams, they&rsquo;re with each other a little bit, but you can tell that there&rsquo;s a little bit of animosity within them? I feel as though I can come in and be that middle man and make everyone get on the same page and get everyone to respect me. Even if I&rsquo;m young, I&rsquo;m wise beyond my years. They will listen to me and hear where I&rsquo;m coming from, and I can help solve their problems. Honestly, that&rsquo;s why I think I can help a losing team become a winning team. I&rsquo;m big on building relationships.&rdquo;
You mentioned being the best point guard in this class. What are some of your long-term goals for your NBA career?
Hyland: &ldquo;Just being the best person that I can be, controlling what I can control day-in and day-out. I don&rsquo;t ever like to look too far ahead; I like to stay in the moment, honestly. But whoever misses out on me, they&rsquo;re gonna regret it in the next few years &ndash; because I&rsquo;m that golden child, I&rsquo;m that gem that you need, honestly.&rdquo;&nbsp;
What will it mean to you to hear your name called on draft night? Has it sunk in yet?
Hyland: &ldquo;Yeah, I like to dream about that a lot and look forward to that a lot. That&rsquo;s the only thing I look ahead to. (laughs) It&rsquo;s going to be a dream come true. It&rsquo;s going to be like, &lsquo;Wow, I really did it. I really overcame so much and accomplished my goal.&rsquo; I can show the kids back home that no matter how much adversity you face, you can do it as well.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Keep God first, keep your faith, keep working and keep your love for the game. Never let nobody steer you wrong. Stay on your path and just show everyone that you can do it. That&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m doing. That&rsquo;s what I feel I&rsquo;m on this earth for: to display my story and showcase my talents to the world.&rdquo;
Let&rsquo;s say you run into an NBA executive and they ask you, &ldquo;Why should I draft you? Why should I want you on my roster?&rdquo; What would you tell them?
Hyland: &ldquo;I have the best personality. I&rsquo;m a kid that you&rsquo;re gonna fall in love with. I&rsquo;m a kid that&rsquo;s going to change your program around, or I&rsquo;m a kid that can keep your program at a high level. I can help in many ways, with my scoring abilities, my shooting abilities, my playmaking abilities and also on the defensive end. I&rsquo;m a great kid to invest in. I&rsquo;m a kid who has his head on straight. On and off the court, I&rsquo;m a great kid and I&rsquo;m definitely the best investment that you&rsquo;ll make.&rdquo;
What&rsquo;s the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Hyland: &ldquo;Never give up. From my mom. No matter how tough life gets, never give up.&rdquo;

In this Q&A, Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland opens up about his game, his personality, how he can help an NBA team and much more.

Q&A: Draft prospect Nah'Shon 'Bones' Hyland demands your attention

As a scout, my favorite part of the NBA's pre-draft process is watching prospects in private workouts. There is no substitute for being in the gym, spending time with players and their agent(s), and getting a feel for them as people. After a strong performance at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, I was able to spend some time with VCU&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/nah-shon-hyland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland</a> and his agent, Austin Walton, in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Currently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/nah-shon-hyland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slotted at No. 27</a> in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our latest NBA Mock Draft</a>, Hyland enters the draft after a tremendous season at VCU, where he scored 19.5 points per game while shooting 37.1% from beyond the arc. Three-point shooting will likely be his calling card in the NBA due to his ability to hit shots off movement, the stand-still and off the dribble. His pull-up shooting was especially impressive last season, as he was able to create space with ease anywhere on the floor. It&rsquo;s also hard to find another player in the 2021 class with range like Hyland, regularly hitting shots from 30-plus feet effortlessly.
Although I was already familiar with Hyland&rsquo;s game, I wanted to see him in an up-close workout setting. Physical tools, body movements, personality -- these are all key parts in the evaluation process.
Bones has a tremendous balance of personality, humility and competitiveness. Deep down, he is a fiery competitor whose number one objective is to win. He doesn&rsquo;t back down from competition and is always willing to battle for what he wants; I sensed an innate, uncoached desire for self-improvement, which all great players have inside them. He also has an incredible story, involving a house fire and losing close family members, and has the resilience to push through. The events of his past have helped him grow as a person, and he is one of the most self-aware prospects I have spoken to -- a trait that I value greatly.
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After getting to speak with him and Austin for a bit, I was able to watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI9RJ_vvIGY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the workout</a>. They proceeded to do various drills, and aside from fantastic shooting, he displayed tight handles, good quick-twitch movements and agility, and plus-footwork that should help him be successful at the NBA level.&nbsp;
Overall, I believe the future is bright for Bones Hyland. Widely known for his creation and shooting prowess, there is much more to both his game and him as a person. He has flashed the ability to create for others and facilitate as a ball-handler -- and his infectious personality and willingness to improve are immensely valuable.
It was great to spend time with him in Atlanta, I don&rsquo;t expect him to be on the board long on July 29.&nbsp;
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Be sure to check out BasketballNews.com's NBA Mock Draft page, which features in-depth scouting breakdowns of each prospect.</a>

Derek Murray recently spent time in the gym with 2021 NBA Draft prospect Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland and shares his thoughts.

Behind the scenes with NBA Draft prospect Nah'Shon 'Bones' Hyland

With the 2021 NBA Draft Combine wrapped up and the NBA Draft coming up on July 29, Matt Babcock shares his thoughts on which players' stocks have risen stemming from the event, and where things stand with their draft status going into the pre-draft process.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/josh-christopher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Christopher, Arizona State</a> 
After being one of the top-ranked players in the country out of high school, Josh Christopher had an up-and-down freshman season at Arizona State, leaving scouts all over the place in regards to their evaluations of him. I have been a bit higher on Christopher than most other evaluators all season long, and I was hoping to be able to see him perform well to give me more confidence in my initial evaluation. I was happy to see Christopher bet on himself by taking part in 5-on-5 play this week in Chicago, while many other players elected to sit out for various reasons.
It was a decision that clearly paid off, as Christopher took care of business, scoring 16 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, controlling the game and leading his team to victory. And in the process, he gave me what I needed to see to increase my confidence level in him. During live play, Christopher displayed his powerful explosiveness, the ability to create his own shot and the overall potential to be a high-level offensive weapon at the next level. If he is able to become more consistent as an outside shooter, I think he has a chance to be a very good NBA player. At this point, I can safely say that I think Christopher is worthy of being a solid first-round pick, and maybe even as high as a mid-first-round selection.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/joshua-primo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Primo, Alabama</a> 
When thinking of Josh Primo, one key word comes to mind: Upside. One of the youngest players in the draft at only 18 years old, Primo, from the Alabama Crimson Tide, is a smooth shooting guard with good positional size (6-foot-4 without shoes). He is far from being a finished product, but he showed enough for me to think that he has a chance to develop into being a starting-caliber player at the next level.
Talking to NBA scouts and executives this past week, the league as a whole generally seemed to be equally as excited about Primo&rsquo;s potential. I even spoke to one front-office executive who said that he had Primo rated as high as a late-lottery pick. Although I&rsquo;m not sure he should or will go quite that high in the draft, one thing is for sure, Primo is trending up.
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/nah-shon-hyland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nah&rsquo;Shon Hyland, VCU</a> 
In the first game of live 5-on-5 play on day one, Nah&rsquo;Shon &ldquo;Bones&rdquo; Hyland stole the show, scoring 17 points and dishing out 4 assists. An ultra-confident, crafty scoring combo guard, Hyland dazzled by utilizing his shiftiness, routinely shaking his opponents out of their shoes off the dribble and showing an ability to score from all over the floor. I know that he had some supporters prior to the Combine already, but for me personally, he helped himself a lot. Although the shooting guard crop is deep this year, Hyland has proved to me that he belongs in the conversation for teams selecting in the first round. His potential to be a microwave scorer and produce instant offense at the next level has me excited about his future.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/miles-mcbride" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miles McBride, West Virginia</a> 
The knock on McBride has been that he&rsquo;s not considered to be a pure point guard and lacks some offensive polish. I have been somewhat hesitant with McBride because of those reasons; however, after watching him the last few days, the tide is turning for me and I have become more of a believer. Many have described McBride as a &ldquo;typical Bob Huggins guy," which I interpret as a tough, no-nonsense, competitive fighter who will defend his tail off. And that is an accurate description of McBride. I&rsquo;ve heard mixed information on whether McBride will remain in the draft or return back to West Virginia for another season. Regardless of whether it&rsquo;s now or later, I think McBride has a chance to have a solid NBA career.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/sandro-mamukelashvili" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sandro Mamukelashvili, Seton Hall</a> 
A versatile lefty big man who can initiate the break, make plays for his teammates and shoot the ball from outside -- in addition to being able to handle typical big-man responsibilities -- I&rsquo;m not sure I have talked to one person who doesn&rsquo;t like &ldquo;Mamu&rdquo; on some level or another. Although it&rsquo;s been said regularly that the center position is easily replaceable, there is no denying that floor spacing, ball movement and pace are extremely valued in today&rsquo;s game. And Mamu can be a legitimate contributor to those things.
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I&rsquo;m still trying to get a grip of exactly what his market value is in regards to the 2021 NBA Draft, but I will say that I do believe he is trending in the right direction and fully expect to hear his name come draft night.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/quentin-grimes-looking-to-take-draft-combine-momentum-to-the-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quentin Grimes, Houston</a> 
In 2018, Quentin Grimes was Texas' Mr. Basketball, a McDonald&rsquo;s All-American and one of the top-rated high school players in the country. Prior to his freshman season at Kansas, most would have expected Grimes to be a one-and-done and a likely lottery pick. However, that&rsquo;s not how things played out for Grimes. Instead, he had a rocky freshman season that led him to transfer to Houston. There, Grimes reinvented himself with the help of head coach Kelvin Sampson. Now 21 years old, Grimes was able to show that he has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/quentin-grimes-looking-to-take-draft-combine-momentum-to-the-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">matured and developed</a> under Sampson&rsquo;s tutelage. A strong 6-foot-5 wing with a high basketball IQ, strong defensive abilities and a much-improved outside shot, Grimes has gone from being a high-profile prospect, to being written off, to now being right back on everyone&rsquo;s radar.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/joe-wieskamp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Wieskamp, Iowa</a> 
After measuring at 6-foot, 5.75 inches without shoes with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, and recording an incredible 42-inch max vertical, Joe Wieskamp from the Iowa Hawkeyes can easily be considered one of the winners of the physical testing at the NBA Draft Combine. However, his success wasn&rsquo;t limited there, as he was terrific on the court as well.
In one game, he scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while shooting 6-for-7 from three-point range. Prior to the Combine, he was considered a fringe draft pick; now, I&rsquo;d consider him likely to be drafted. At this point, I don&rsquo;t think anyone would question that a shooter like Wieskamp -- who is capable of shooting at a high rate on the move and has positional size and athleticism -- has a place in the NBA.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out Matt Babcock's 2021 NBA Mock Draft (with a full scouting report on each player) here.</a>

Matt Babcock shares his thoughts on which prospects' stocks have risen stemming from the 2021 NBA Draft Combine.